Maria McFarland Sánchez-Moreno

The conviction of Colombia’s ex-president is a sign of hope amid autocracy’s rise | Maria McFarland Sánchez-Moreno Álvaro Uribe was convicted of bribery in a development that would have seemed inconceivable a decade ago

The conviction of Colombia’s once-untouchable ex-president is a sign of hope amid autocracy’s rise—my latest in @theguardian.com today.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

The Deep Roots of US Corruption And what we can actually do about it

Corruption is at peak levels in the US. But calling that out without tackling the corruption already in the system sounds hypocritical to many. We need real action, on both today's corruption and the ways the system has long been rigged. My latest: open.substack.com/pub/mariamcf...

Trump’s Efforts to Control Information Echo an Authoritarian Playbook

"Firing the top statistical official... puts us in dangerous territory far from an accountable and reality-based government.” says
‪@gretchentg.bsky.social‬ of Union of Concerned Scientists. Agreed! www.nytimes.com/2025/08/03/u...

🚨 BREAKING: The Senate Homeland Security & Government Affairs Committee just advanced a bill to ban members of Congress, the President, and VP from trading stocks. The vote was 8–7. All Democrats voted yes, Josh Hawley (R-MO) was the only Republican to join them.

Senate confirms Emil Bove to Third Circuit, as Dems fail to thwart Trump pick Two Republicans voted against Bove, but it wasn't enough to tank his nomination.

The Senate's confirmation to the 3rd Circuit of Emil Bove, despite not only three whistleblower complaints, but also his role in the appalling Eric Adams dropping of charges, is an alarming step toward radical politicization of the judiciary. www.politico.com/news/2025/07...

Now That They’re Free, Venezuelan Men Want the World to Know What They Endured in CECOT Venezuelan men deported by the Trump administration say they endured months of physical and mental abuse inside a Salvadoran prison. Though happy to be home, they say the fact that they were released ...

“I’d rather die... than to keep living through this experience," said one of the men (most of whom had no criminal records) Trump sent to El Salvador's CECOT prison. Powerful @propublica.org reporting on the men's experiences of torture there: www.propublica.org/article/vene...

For more, check out There Are No Dead Here: www.mariamcfarlandsanchezmoreno.com/projects 5/5

The bribery charges came about in the context of broader investigations of some of these events. It's striking to see such a powerful politician in Colombia being held to account in a court of law, and a great reminder that work for truth and justice matters. 4/5

As president, he ran a sham paramilitary demobilization process that got many of their leaders off the hook, and a smear campaign against the Supreme Court, which was investigating paramilitary ties to about 1/3 of congressmembers, many of whom were elected through fraud. 3/5

As Governor of Antioquia, Uribe established "Convivirs"--supposedly civilian self defense groups that served as covers for the paramilitaries (then Colombia's biggest drug traffickers). He took no real action in the face of repeated complaints of paramilitaries killing civilians. 2/5

Ex-President Álvaro Uribe of Colombia Is Convicted of Bribery

Fmr Colombian President Alvaro Uribe has been convicted of bribing a witness who tied him to paramilitaries. My book, There Are No Dead Here, tells the story of the vicious paramilitaries' rise on Uribe's watch. www.nytimes.com/2025/07/28/w... 1/5

ICE Risks Overplaying Its Hand. We’ve Seen It Happen Before. Militarized federal encroachments on public life provoke strong, even violent responses — even among those who agree with their aims.

ICE risks overplaying its hand, turning ppl against it, as it becomes "a massive, un-uniformed, masked domestic army... that critics fear will have carte blanche to arrest, detain and deport persons without... due process, whether they enjoy legal status or not."
www.politico.com/news/magazin...

Another whistleblower claims that top DOJ official suggested department could ignore court orders | CNN Politics Another whistleblower has made claims to the Justice Department’s watchdog that Emil Bove — a top agency official who is now nominated for a judgeship — suggested others in the department could ignore...

There are now TWO whistleblowers saying Emil Bove suggested DOJ ignore court orders. That's on top of the role he played in the sketchy Eric Adams deal. He makes me think of courts in Venezuela, mere tools for the president... is that what the Senate wants for the US? edition.cnn.com/2025/07/27/p...

Opinion | You May Not Be Trump’s Target This Time. But You Could Be Next.

Great piece by Vanita Gupta on how “the foundations of American freedom” are at stake with the administration’s efforts to go after civil society and nonprofits. www.nytimes.com/2025/07/27/o...

Wow, not even trying to hide it...

We can turn the tide on rising corrupt autocracy in the US--I know that from years of experience. But we need to move a lot more people who are on the fence--both within the system and outside it. Check out my new Substack post and subscribe: open.substack.com/pub/mariamcf...

Opinion | I Was Ambassador to Hungary. The America I Returned to Alarms Me.

Excellent piece by former US Ambassador to Hungary, warning US elites: "Don’t dupe yourselves. The illusion that you are smarter than the strongman... is just that — an illusion. Now, more than ever, your principled leadership matters." www.nytimes.com/2025/07/23/o...

One in five Trump nominees and top officials own crypto, which the administration is now basically choosing not to regulate. Bitcoin's price has surged 70% since the election. Doesn't get more swamp-drainy than this www.washingtonpost.com/politics/int... @ence.bsky.social @cqzakrz.bsky.social

When industries like crypto can gain influence with $, and presidents can personally profit from their own policy decisions, how can ordinary people trust that their elected leaders work for them? We need real anti-corruption reform, to tackle these issues at their root. 7/7

YouTube video by The Wall Street Journal Trump’s Controversial Crypto Dinner: Guests Describe How It Unfolded | WSJ

Meanwhile, President Trump and his family have profited massively from their investment in crypto, and Trump has actively sought out crypto industry support. www.youtube.com/watch?v=SC9J... 6/7

Opinion | Rep. Maxine Waters: My colleagues are making a mistake on crypto This week, the House will consider several crypto bills, including the so-called CLARITY Act and the GENIUS Act.

Rep. Maxine Waters (D) warned this week that “If these bills become law, America will eventually face its first crypto financial crisis.” @repmaxinewaters.bsky.social
www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnb... 5/7

House Democrats Sound Alarm on CLARITY Act: Impact 'Will Not Be Quarantined to Crypto', Says Expert - Decrypt Experts said the CLARITY Act crypto market structure bill will encourage TradFi firms to adopt blockchain as a means to evade regulation.

Critics note that the CLARITY Act would (1) carve out crypto assets from oversight by the SEC, and (2) bleed into our financial system more broadly, by allowing traditional financial institutions to put their activities on the blockchain and also avoid oversight. decrypt.co/324043/house... 4/7

Crypto industry amasses colossal war chest for elections The crypto campaign cash is looming over a slate of House votes this week on industry-backed crypto bills.

Fairshake and related super PACs now have $140M to spend in the 2026 midterms, and they’re wielding that influence aggressively to push the CLARITY bill and other measures during “crypto week” in Congress. www.politico.com/news/2025/07... 3/7

A wave of crypto-friendly lawmakers is about to crash Congress A $160 million super PAC spending spree is set to give the industry an army of allies in the House and Senate, and across party lines.

Crypto has been growing in power and influence. Crypto super PACs spent 135M in the last electoral cycle and got the most pro-crypto Congress ever, POLITICO reported. www.politico.com/news/2024/10... 2/7

House advances crypto, defense spending bills following standoff Republican rebels cut a deal to attach a key crypto measure to a must-pass defense authorization bill.

BIG $ ALERT! Congress is about to pass a bill pushed by the crypto industry (armed with a $140M war chest) that critics say could put all of us at risk of a big financial crisis. www.politico.com/live-updates... 1/7

Members of Congress investing in defense revealed At least four members of Congress have bought shares in defense companies in the last two months.

Newsweek just reported that four members of Congress, both Republicans and Democrats alike, bought stock in defense companies while sitting on committees that oversee military budgets. These companies receive billions in government contracts.

Kudos to @senjeffmerkley.bsky.social for pressing AG Bondi for answers about President Trump's memecoin dinner.

It was one of the most corrupt things we've ever seen from Trump, and that's saying a lot.

Nevertheless, on March 11, Mr. Durham sent a letter to Judge Joan M. Azrack, who was overseeing both of the MS-13 leadership indictments, saying the United States was seeking to dismiss all charges against Mr. López, a defendant in the first case. The letter, filed under seal, asserted that the Vulcan team believed the evidence in the case was “strong.” But the new administration had “important foreign policy considerations” and “national security concerns” that required dropping the case and returning Mr. López to El Salvador, Mr. Durham wrote.

Trump I: "It is the policy of this administration to dismantle, decimate and eradicate MS-13."

Trump II: The cases against top MS-13 guys is being dropped due to “important foreign policy considerations.”

www.nytimes.com/2025/06/30/u...

DOJ announces plans to prioritize cases to revoke citizenship Denaturalization is a tactic heavily used during the McCarthy era and one that was expanded during the Obama administration and grew further during President Trump's first term. It's a tool usually us...

DOJ plan to prioritize revoking citizenship includes

Cases a US Attorney refers "or in connection with pending criminal charges if those charges do not fit within one of the other priorities"

"Any other cases referred to the Civil Division that the Division determines to be sufficiently important"

Trump Vowed to Dismantle MS-13. His Deal With Bukele Threatens That Effort.

Bombshell story sheds light on what Bukele apparently got from his deal with Trump, aside from $: DOJ is dropping charges vs top MS13 leaders and abandoning an investigation of a corrupt pact between the gang and Bukele. It's sending them to El Salvador. www.nytimes.com/2025/06/30/u...